Jump to section
ICICI Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card Review
- Welcome basket: 12,500 RP (₹12,500) + Taj Epicure Plus Membership + EazyDiner Prime Membership; renewal welcomes from Year 2 (12,500 RP + EazyDiner Prime renewal) per current issuer page. No single ₹23,000 retention voucher is documented on the public page.
- Unlimited domestic + international lounges (Priority Pass)
- Metal card stock (~20g, heaviest mass-market metal card)
- 2% forex markup
- Golf: unlimited rounds at 50+ partner courses (primary + 1 guest)
- ICICI Private/Wealth relationship unlocks pre-approved issuance at better terms
- Complimentary memberships: Taj Epicure Plus + EazyDiner Prime
- Invitation-preferred — public applications need ₹35L+ annual income (typical benchmark)
- 6 RP per ₹200 (3% headline) — Infinia’s 10× SmartBuy beats this when you book flights
- iShop travel portal less flexible than HDFC SmartBuy (fewer partner airlines)
- Retention voucher expires 12 months from issue — forgetting costs you ₹23K
- Reward redemption capped at ₹0.40/point for statement credit (1:1 only on iShop bookings)
Fees & charges
| Item | Charge |
|---|---|
| Joining fee | ₹12,499 + GST (₹14,749 total) |
| Renewal fee | ₹12,499 + GST (offset by ₹23K retention voucher) |
| Finance charge | 3.5% p.m. |
| Cash advance fee | 2.5% (min ₹500) |
| Forex markup | 2% |
| Late payment | Up to ₹1,300 |
| Over-limit fee | 2.5% (min ₹550) |
Eligibility & documents
Issuance route
EPM is an invitation-preferred card. ICICI Bank does not publish a fixed minimum income. It is offered primarily to ICICI Private Banking clients and select existing high-limit cardholders.
Age
21-65 years
Typical target profile
Industry sources mention ITR of ₹40 lakh+ as a typical benchmark, though ICICI does not publish this officially. Existing ICICI credit cardholders with a ₹6 lakh+ limit are often considered for an upgrade.
Recommended CIBIL
780+ with clean banking history
Typical credit limit
₹5 lakh – ₹25 lakh at issuance; ICICI Private Banking clients often see ₹50L+
How to get invited
Contact your ICICI relationship manager. Pre-approved offers appear in iMobile for eligible Private Banking customers.
Rewards structure
Base earn: 6 reward points per ₹200 on retail (3% headline, 1.6% effective at ₹0.40/point statement-credit redemption).
International spends: 8 RP per ₹200 (4% headline) — solid for international travel.
Redemption: 1 point = ₹1 on iShop travel bookings (best value); ₹0.40 as statement credit; ₹0.60 on Amazon voucher. Reward points expire 2 years from earn date.
Q4 2025 change: Retention voucher programme consolidated — previously ₹5K retail + ₹18K airline = ₹23K total. Now delivered as a single ₹23K iShop travel credit.
Category caps: Utility bills 2,000 pts/cycle; wallet 1,000 pts/cycle; fuel earns zero points (1% surcharge waiver applies). Rent, tax, insurance excluded entirely.
Welcome benefits & milestones
Welcome benefits: 12,500 Reward Points credited on payment of joining fee + Taj Epicure Plus Membership + EazyDiner Prime Membership. Additional 12,500 Reward Points + EazyDiner Prime renewal on annual fee payment from Year 2 onwards.
Milestone benefit: 2 EaseMyTrip vouchers worth ₹6,000 on annual spends of ₹8 lakh. Cancellation protection up to ₹12,000 annually on domestic flight and hotel bookings. Comprehensive insurance cover up to ₹3 crore.
Older milestone-bonus tiers (₹10L → 10K bonus RP, ₹20L → 25K bonus RP) were not visible on the current ICICI EPM marketing page at the time of this review — they may have been retired or moved to MITC. Confirm with your Relationship Manager before banking on them; the issuer-confirmed milestones today are the EaseMyTrip vouchers (worth ₹6,000) at ₹8 lakh annual spend.
Key benefits
- Lounge access: Unlimited domestic + unlimited international airport lounge access for both Primary AND Plus Card members (issuer-confirmed; not gated).
- BookMyShow Buy-1-Get-1 on movies, concerts and events — up to ₹750 off, twice per month (issuer-confirmed).
- Late Payment Charges: NIL — confirmed on the ICICI EPM fees page; one of very few Indian cards with zero late payment fee.
- Golf: Unlimited rounds at 50+ partner courses, primary + 1 guest free
- 24×7 concierge via Visa Infinite network
- Insurance: Air accident ₹3 crore, overseas medical ₹50 lakh, credit-shield ₹1 crore
- Bundled memberships: Taj Epicure Plus + EazyDiner Prime Taj Epicure Plus + EazyDiner Prime
- Airport meet & greet — 2 complimentary transfers/year at select international airports
- Complimentary add-on cards for family
Usage terms & fine print
Lounge access
Unlimited Priority Pass globally for primary + add-on cards. Guest visits charged ₹2,000/guest after first 2 free visits per year. ICICI’s in-house lounges at select airports (Mumbai T2, Delhi T3) also accessible.
Fuel surcharge waiver
1% surcharge waiver on fuel ₹400-₹5,000, cap ₹1,000/cycle. Fuel transactions don’t earn reward points.
Interest-free period
Interest-free credit 50 days. Min payment 5% of outstanding or ₹300.
EMI conversion
EMI on transactions ₹3,000+. Tenures 3/6/9/12/18/24/36/48 months. Interest 0-1.5% p.m. (many 0% partner offers via iShop). Processing fee 1%.
Digital wallets & UPI
Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay — full support. Not UPI-linkable (Visa only, no RuPay variant).
Insurance cover
Air accident ₹3 crore, overseas hospitalisation ₹50 lakh, credit-shield ₹1 crore, baggage loss ₹35K, trip cancellation ₹25K, purchase protection 180 days, extended warranty 2 years
Interactive reward calculator
Inputs pre-filled with typical values. Edit to get your personalised earnings — caps and milestones update live.
Compared with alternatives
Tap any card for full head-to-head.
HDFC Infinia (₹12.5K) →
Similar fee. SmartBuy 10× (capped 15K/cycle) vs EPM’s ₹23K retention voucher. Feb 2026 retention rule on Infinia.
HDFC Diners Black (₹10K) →
Lower fee. Y1 memberships bundle ~₹8K. EPM wins on recurring voucher; Diners wins on Y1 value.
Axis Magnus Burgundy (₹30K) →
Higher fee, Axis Burgundy required. Up to 24% travel redemption value with transfer strategy.
ICICI Diamant (₹12.5K) (comparison coming soon)
Newer ICICI product with 6 pts per ₹100 (higher rewards). EPM is the quieter value pick for ICICI customers.
Who the ICICI Emeralde Private Metal is for
EPM suits ICICI Wealth or Private Banking relationship customers who want guaranteed voucher value over variable SmartBuy-style bonuses. The ₹23K retention voucher is deterministic — you get it every year regardless of spend pattern. If you value predictability, EPM beats Infinia.
Not the right card if: you’re not an ICICI banking customer. EPM’s best terms (pre-approved issuance, relationship-rate credit-limit) flow from existing ICICI Wealth/Private status. Public applicants at ₹35L+ income can still get it but approval rates are 40-50%.
How to apply & how to cancel
Apply: ICICI Wealth/Private customers: pre-approved offer in iMobile. Public applicants: apply via icicibank.com → Credit Cards → Emeralde Private Metal. Income proof + relationship discussion with branch RM. Decision in 5-7 days; delivery 10-14 days.
Cancel: Call ICICI credit card helpline (1860 120 7777). Clear dues; redeem reward points. Unused voucher value forfeited at closure. Renewal fee non-refundable 30 days post-renewal.
Final verdict
EPM is the most voucher-friendly super-premium card in India. Its ₹23K annual retention travel voucher is the highest in the segment and makes the card effectively free from Year 2. If you’re an ICICI banking customer and can use iShop travel bookings, EPM delivers better deterministic value than Infinia. For heavy SmartBuy users, Infinia still edges ahead.
Frequently asked questions
Is the ₹23K retention voucher automatic?
Yes — credited to iShop account automatically upon payment of the annual renewal fee. You do not need to hit a spend milestone for it.
Can the iShop voucher redeem on any airline?
iShop partners with major domestic (Air India, IndiGo) and most international airlines. Redemption works as a discount code at standard booking prices.
What happens to the voucher if I cancel mid-year?
Unused iShop voucher balance is forfeited on card closure. Use it before cancelling.
How does EPM compare with Diamant?
Diamant (₹12,500) offers 6 points per ₹100 — twice EPM’s rate — and unlimited lounges similarly. EPM’s edge is the guaranteed retention voucher. Diamant is better for heavy spenders; EPM for moderate spenders who value predictable value.
Is EPM available to non-ICICI banking customers?
Yes — direct public applications accepted at ₹35L+ income. Approval rates lower than for relationship customers (40-50% vs 80%+).
Do points transfer to airline miles?
Yes — 1:1 to Flying Returns (Air India, post-merger), 2:1 to Marriott Bonvoy, 2:1 to Singapore KrisFlyer. Minimum transfer 1,000 points.
Is the metal card heavier than HDFC Infinia?
Yes — EPM at ~20g is heavier than Infinia Metal (~17g). Both are visibly premium.
What is Taj Epicure membership?
Taj’s premium loyalty programme bundled as free annual membership with EPM. Offers 15-20% off at Taj restaurants, complimentary upgrades at select properties.
Can I hold EPM and Infinia together?
Technically yes — different issuers. Credit limits are separate. Some HNI users hold both to maximise category optimisation.
How is EPM different from the plain Emeralde card?
Plain Emeralde (non-Metal, ₹12,000) has the same rewards rate but lower retention voucher and plastic card stock. EPM’s ₹500 higher fee gets you the metal card + better voucher structure.
Data current as of April 2026. Credit card fees, rewards and benefits are revised periodically by issuers. Always confirm current terms with the issuer before applying.